Three Generations of NursingIs your vocation/calling something you learn or is it internally programmed? One family shows us that once nursing got into the bloodstream it was passed down, and down again. Three generations in one family all chose the nursing profession for their career and it was exactly the right fit for each of them! Jane Abbas Hensing, EMH Cardiac Rehab, knew when she was a little girl that she loved being around people and that nursing was the career for her. Jane’s mother, Marilyn Abbas, also had a passion for helping people and wanted to make a difference in their lives so she also chose to go into nursing. Jane’s daughter, Katie Hensing, EMH Med-Surg, felt the same calling and pursued her dream to become an RN. Katie saw nurses as people who were well respected for what they do. They each made their decision in their own time. Marilyn was able to follow her dream of going back to school and becoming a nurse when her children were older. She attended what is now Hawkeye Community College, graduating in 1971. Jane explored nursing schools and discussed her options with her mom before deciding to attend Marshalltown Community School of Nursing (formerly Evangelical School of Nursing) where she earned her RN in 1985. She also earned her Bachelors of Nursing in 2004 from Allen College in Waterloo. Katie went the more traditional route and graduated from Iowa Central Community College in 2007 with her LPN, followed by her RN from Iowa Central Community College this year. Marilyn had her first job at Franklin General Hospital in Hampton. She now works at the Presbyterian Village in Ackley. Marilyn has found the gratification and satisfaction shown by patients no matter how big or small the task to be the most rewarding thing about nursing. She loves working with the elderly in the long-term care setting - to able to sit on the bed and visit with them and see them smile is wonderful for her. Greatest change in healthcare that she has personally experienced is the shorter length of stay following surgery. Another big change is the use of disposable equipment rather than sterilization was once a part of a nurse’s duties. Jane’s first and only job has been at Ellsworth Municipal Hospital. She is also a clinical instructor for ECC. When asked what she finds most rewarding in her nursing career, Jane states her passion is critical care, trauma and emergency type situations. “I am a ‘fix it’ type person. I want to be able to see improvement and progress. That gives me great pleasure and satisfaction.” The greatest drawback to nursing work is all the government rules and regulations, constantly changing medications, protocols, and scopes of practice. Today we do things as a group because you respond as a group, which Jane feels makes a lot more sense. She considers computers to be a great asset to her work, where they were hardly around in 1985 when she graduated. Katie’s job at EMH is her first nursing job. Katie’s love is working with surgical patients; making a difference in people’s lives and making them feel better which gives her personal satisfaction in her work. She finds it challenging to prepare for the changing census on the floor each day and the types of patients. From taking care of pediatrics to critical care type patients, it is a challenge in itself to be prepared to deal with any situation that comes your way when you go to work. They all agree that if there is a fourth generation, they would definitely love and be honored to have the nursing tradition continue. This tradition, this love of nursing, is special and comes from deep within the heart and soul. Something that few may understand though all admire. These ladies can be proud of the footprint they have made in their profession and continue on knowing that each life they touch is changed for the better just by knowing that Abbas-Hensing nursing care has come their way.
|
